Rosings Park: A New Look for My First Book

Having had great success with the designers at CreateSpace, who developed the cover for my new novel, Cousin Anne, I decided it was time to make some changes to my first book, Rosings Park. I added a discussion section for readers and hired the CreateSpace design team to develop a new look. The stunning new cover, shown at left, has all of the elements that speak to me of beauty: bright roses, frippery ornaments (which I adore, although I don’t know why), the font — ah, I should use the term “typeface” here, according to John Brownlee — and an almost careless looking arrangement of objects.

Fresh figs scattered across the table, a bit of a sugar bowl, a dented copper bucket and a lacy tablecloth say “home,” which is precisely the effect I want, since Rosings Park is Anne de Bourgh’s estate, inherited after her father died. Anne, as you likely know, is a character from Jane Austen’s popular novel, Pride and Prejudice. She is the young lady to whom the handsome Mr. Darcy was long engaged. She is the young lady whom Mr. Darcy threw over for the lively Elizabeth Bennet.

The sort of still life painting captured in my Rosings Park cover was popular during Jane Austen’s day. One of my favorite still life painters from the 18th century is Anne Vallayer-Coster. Although she occasionally painted portraits, she is best known for her still life paintings. The painting (shown below) of mackerel, fine glassware, a loaf of bread and sliced lemons on a white cloth shows her fine rendering of light and shadow. That white tablecloth looks newly starched.

Trained by a variety of painters, including her father, Vallayer-Coster had no sponsor to support her artistic efforts. At the age of 26 in 1770, she submitted two still life paintings (both now held by the Louvre) to the Académie Royale de Peinture et de Sculpture, which brought immediate acclaim and won her election to the Royal Académie. Eventually her precocious talent attracted the attention and support of Marie Antoinette. Vallayer-Coster survived the French revolution (whereas Marie Antoinette did not) and also the Napoleonic wars, but her reputation declined over the years. She died in 1818.

Another 18th-century still life painter I like is the Dutch painter Jan van Os. He began painting seascapes but became known for his still life paintings of flowers and fruit. This painting of flower, fruit and butterflies is exquisitely detailed and a feast for the eyes.

As with my other novel’s cover, it is challenging to find the right image. It can’t be too modern. It must be affordable. It should convey a sense of the story. When I look at the new cover for Rosings Park, I can’t help but think that all the elements came together in the designer’s eye.